RSTP (Red Sea Tennis Players), playing under the banner of Jollibee, dominated all-four Categories and will square off in the finals with JRTC in Category C, JBTP in B2, and Jeddah International School Tennis Club (JISTC) in Category B1 of the 18th Astec Team Tennis Tournament at the tennis courts of Albilad Hotel and Sheraton Hotel. In Category C, RSTP did not have an easy ride to the final as it had to go through a tie-breaker against team Gate in the first two sets which it both won 8-7 (7-5), 8-7 (8-6). The third set was easily won 8-5 by Agot delas Alas and Ramon to clinch the first final berth. In the other court JRTC (Jeddah Ranao Tennis Club) had to endure a deciding fifth set against Smash Magic, 3-2, to earn a berth in the final. JRTC did not have the same luck in Category B2 when it lost against JBTP (Jeddah Base Tennis Player), playing under the banner of Lacoste, 3-1. In the first set the tandem of Danny Natangcop and Al Manarondong easily demolished JBTP's Lito Mosquera and Sev Sumaya, 8-1. In the first singles match, Yousef Tharwat of JBTP took the better off Sajid Usman 8-4 to level it 1-all. The third set was a test of nerves with no pair willing to let go as the pair of Gerry Nazaire and Noel de Guzman took the upperhand at 7-6, with the next game won by Kim Guro and Tuffs Laguindab, to force a tie-breaker, which was eventually won by the former 8-6. In the other Category B2 semifinal, Omar Magno, captain of Shelter Tennis Club played his best tennis of the tournament, together with Allen Arriesgado, to hold off the challenge by Randy Martin and Tonton Panna to gain 7-5 lead. However, Shelter-Simpex wasted a set-point at 7-6, when the youthful Allen hit an overhead smash which was luckily returned by Tonton of RSTP, lobbing the ball at the baseline to bring the game to deuce. Shelter lost the set in a tie-breaker 7-8 (4-7). The second set was an equally exciting between practice partners Carl Abat of RSTP and Alain Arriesgado of Shelter, which was won by the latter 8-7 (7-2) to bring the scorecard at one set apiece. RSTP easily took the third and fourth sets, to claim the other final berth and face JBTP in Category B2 final. Astec team was not lucky in its quest for a final slot in B1, the highest category at stake, when it failed to convert its advantage in the first two sets of its best-of-five-sets semifinal against team JISTC (Jeddah International School Tennis Club). After leading 7-6 in regular game, Astec's Nilo Salvedia and Leo Perez lost the set 7-8 (4-7) to Sanny Valencia and Dennis Miralles of JIS. Nilo's eagerness to gain the upperhand in the tie-break let him down. While smashing an easy ball his racquet touched the net and gave away the point to the opponent. The hope to equalize the match also vanished in the second set when Astec's Zahran Khan squandered a set point at 7-6 (40-30) to bring the game to deuce and eventually lose another tie-breaker with similar score 7-8 (4-7) against Rene Jamilla. Cesar Panti and Rudill Mative of JIS did not give a chance to their opponents to catch up and blasted their way to 8-3 in the third set, to bring their team to the final of Category B1 against the much-vaunted veteran players of RSTP. Meanwhile, in the women's section, Smash Magic Mixed Division team blasted its way to the final of Super Mix-A when it immediately dashed the hopes of Zuhair Fayez team by taking straight sets win 8-2, 8-4. In other semifinal the doubles pair of Winston Tadeo and Edma Ladion took the deciding third-set 8-6 to put JIS-Edma team in the final against Smash Magic. The tournament, which is participated by 60 teams in both wpmen's and men's divisions, is co-sponsored by M. A. Al Samman Est., Skyfreight Forwarders and the Filipino Channel. __
